magic in the land forbidden
by wild wolf free17
Summary: Merlin drabbles, unconnected; up now: modern-day reincarnation and AU
1. we'll never be as bright as we are now

Title: we'll never be as bright as we are now

Disclaimer: not my characters

Warnings: reincarnation!fic; modern-day

Pairings: Arthur/Merlin

Rating: PG  
Wordcount: 105

Point of view: third

Prompt: Merlin, Arthur/Merlin, Gold Forever lyrics by The Wanted

_Cause we're  
Butterflies, butterflies..we were meant to fly,  
You and I, you and I..colors in the sky,  
We could rule the world someday, somehow but we'll never be as bright as we are now._

_We're standing in a light that won't fade,_  
_Tomorrow's coming but this won't change,_  
_Cause some days stay gold forever._  
_The memory of being here with you,_  
_Is one I'm gonna take my life through,_  
_Cause some days stay gold forever._

* * *

He remembers while standing in the rain, watching his forever king walk away (only for a moment, to grab the credit card he forgot with the check, but seeing that back go, and the rain, and it was a thousand years ago _today)_.

"Arthur," he whispers, eyes flaring golden.

Ethan looks back over his shoulder. "Did you say something, Dev?"

"Just hurry," he orders. "I have plans for when we get home."

He might be mad. He probably is. But Ethan-Arthur grins and walks faster towards the restaurant, and Devon-_Merlin _goes to the car.

"I knew I'd find you again," he says, turning the key.


	2. the choice endured

Title: the choice endured

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Denise Levertov

Warnings: dark; canon events rearranged to suit my whim

Pairings: gennish with possible Arthur/Merlin undertones

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 530

Prompt: Merlin, any, destiny and how to escape it

* * *

Everyone keeps telling him he's so very powerful, that no one like him has ever been, that he has such a grand destiny - stars and dragons and an entire people know his name. Or, well, a name they say is his, though he still feels like Merlin. Just Merlin. Just a peasant from Ealdor.

Just Merlin. A warlock. A dragonlord. Calls down lightning and stops time.

Nothing special, really. Nothing to see here. Keep on walking.

.

Arthur will be a great king. One day. He will unite the land, and restore magic, and all will be bright and wonderful. People will smile again. People will laugh. People will not shudder when the king's gaze turns to them, because the king is a good man. The best man.

One day.

But right now, Uther thunders his hate down upon the land, and Arthur stands by his side – not agreeing, but not disagreeing either. And Merlin watches a woman burn, a woman who has done nothing wrong except enrage her neighbor. There is no proof of _magic_, only an herb in her home. And an angry neighbor, jealous of her strong children.

Accusations of a curse and three stillborn babes, and a woman burns while the king watches, and Arthur does not look away.

.

_Emrys_. Destined to protect the golden king. The most powerful sorcerer in the world. Perhaps, the greatest warlock in the history of the world, that has ever been or will ever be.

He cannot believe it, because he is so terrified of anyone discovering his magic. He knows he could escape, were he arrested. He knows he could tear the castle down around him, topple it into the catacombs imprisoning the dragon.

He _knows _he could. He just doesn't quite believe it, yet.

.

Gaius pleads for Uther's life. Uther is Gaius' king, and Merlin understands that. He truly does. Uther is Arthur's father, and Arthur is a good man. So, too, Uther must have been, once.

Merlin can save Uther again. Spare him, as he has never spared anyone. Protect the man who eradicated the dragons and tried to erase magic.

Staring down at the dying king, Merlin smells roasting meat and feels oppressive heat.

"Please, Merlin," Gaius says, eyes only on his king.

Gaius will never forgive him. Nor will Arthur, once he realizes the truth (as he must, one day).

But Merlin has a destiny. The druids and the dragon have told him so. Arthur will be a great king, but every moment Uther lingers, he poisons the land.

"I will do my best, Gaius," Merlin promises.

.

Uther dies in the dead of winter. Arthur is crowned as snow falls on Camelot.

He will be a great king.

And if he is not…

Just Merlin is Arthur's man.

Emrys is the most powerful person to ever live. The druids and the dragon swear to that. He _is _magic. Calls down lightning and stops time. He is meant to restore magic.

He will restore magic. And if Arthur is as great a man as Merlin hopes, he will welcome magic back to the land.

If he is not…

Merlin will grieve forever; Emrys will do what must be done.


	3. They killed once an inglorious man

Title: They killed once an inglorious man

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Donne

Warnings: AU; character death

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 265

Point of view: third

Prompt: Merlin, Merlin and other characters, Uther has the young wizard executed and his death has dire consequences.

* * *

A spark is lit.

.

The thing about magic is this - it cannot be thwarted for long. Magic is in everything, whether acknowledged or not, and one fearful king cannot destroy it.

If he believes the last dragon in the world is chained under the castle, that is his decision.

If he believes true sorcerers allow themselves to be executed, he is even more of a fool.

.

The spark ignites into a conflagration.

.

A young warlock allows himself to be led to the chopping block, eyes on his prince. His future king has his lips pressed tight, fingers clenched, and stares straight ahead. He does not look over as the executioner shoves the warlock to his knees.

The king gives the order.

The prince closes his eyes.

.

The conflagration billows out into the world and nothing in its path is safe.

.

Magic cannot be thwarted.

Merlin lets himself die because his prince gave no commands otherwise.

At the moment of his last breath, a child is conceived in the womb of a woman in the far south.

Within a year, a girl will be born, whose eyes flash gold with magic's fire.

.

The world burns.

.

Eowyn never meets Arthur, but she does wed Mordred beneath a blooded moon.

Morgana is driven mad by visions of should-have-been, and Gaius leaves Camelot heartbroken, because while he still loves his king, he cannot respect the man Uther has become.

Albion is never united.

Dragons return furious and cities are lit aflame, and before it is done, magic reclaims the earth.

.

From the ashes, a new world rises.


	4. obedience

Title: obedience

Disclaimer: not my characters

Warnings: none

Rating: PG

Pairings: none

Wordcount: 27

Point of view: third

Prompt: Merlin BBC, any, chain of command

* * *

The magic in Merlin responds only to him, to his strongest desire.

Uther, and Gaius, and Mother all order Merlin - he might obey.

Unless Arthur commands otherwise.


	5. undo

Title: undo

Disclaimer: not my characters

Warnings: character death

Pairings:

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 120

Point of view: third

Prompt: Merlin, Merlin +or/ any, Merlin swallows back his tears

* * *

Merlin swallows back his tears and thinks, _I can fix this. I know I can._

There is no spell, no time to second-guess or plan. There is only Arthur bleeding out, Uther already dead, Camelot on fire, Morgana lost, and Morgause victorious. He has no idea if Gwen and Gaius are alive.

But Arthur is bleeding on the dirt, the knights all around him and dying, and Merlin _knows _he can fix this.

He kneels beside Arthur, puts his hand on Arthur's stilling chest, closes his eyes, and _wishes _with everything in him.

When Merlin opens his eyes, he's three years ago and on the road to Camelot.

He swallows back his tears and swears to do better this time.


	6. starless

Title: starless

Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine

Warnings: modern-day; implied character deaths

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 72

Point of view: third

Prompt: Merlin, any, on his knees

* * *

He bows to one soul in all of existence.

The children ringing him now, in a circle of ash and light, of _blood_ (innocent, young, full of power, full of _waste_), these foolish _foolish_ children of the godless time should _realize_ what is not penned, what is not kept, what can never be _chained_.

Merlin is _magic_, bright as a star and just as cold, and he bows to none of them.


End file.
